"Looks like Sunny G adjudicated & opening is a tough job" - Twitter baffled over KL Rahul winning Player of the Match award in 2nd IND vs SA T20I
KL Rahul struck brilliant form in the 2nd T20I between India and South Africa, with his 28-ball 57 going a long way in the hosts wrapping up the series with a 16-run win. The Indian vice-captain was adjudged the Player of the Match for the same at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
However, fans were left puzzled and gobsmacked at the opener winning the award ahead of Suryakumar Yadav and David Miller. For those unversed, 'SKY' slammed a blistering 22-ball 61 and toyed around with the South African attack, taking the Indian total to a gigantic one along the way.
Miller was the lone pillar for the Proteas as he belted an unbeaten 106 off just 47 deliveries. His innings gave the hosts' bowling unit a scare and reduced the margin of defeat considerably, even leaving South Africa harboring hopes of an improbable win.
Here's what Twitterati had to say over the decision to adjudge Rahul as the Player of the Match:
#INDvSA https://t.co/DJTpdOb8xB
How the hell is KL Rahul the Man of the Match? 😂😂
May be because he is not a big name. I can't imagine Rohit or Kohli playing that in ings and losing the award to a far inferior innings.
P.S. Looks like Sunny G adjudicated & opening is a tough job. Even more reason to retire!
KL Rahul man of the match ahead of SKY and Miller? Someone explain that to me. Please.
The only logic i see behind giving KL MoM is that they have decided that SKY is the Player of the Series
#CricketTwitter
He didnt even play the best knock for India. It was Surya.
@toecrushrzzz @mufaddal_vohra Tbh it should have been given to Miller or Chahar. An economy of just 6.1 in a match where every bowler gone for 11 RPO (Maharaj is another but he bowl in first innings) is just immense in context of game
SKY robbed. Second choice should have been King Bavuma twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra…
@BCCI @klrahul Much as I love Rahul, David Miller hit 106 off 47.
Have a word with yourselves.
Why was #KLRahul man of the match today?
I mean it was clearly #DavidMiller who owned the match today.
I don’t think that a man from the winning team should be the MoM.
That’s absurd!
#india #IndiavsSouthAfrica #Cricket
KL's innings wasn't even the best innings for his team, let alone the match. Extremely absurd that Miller was ignored for the player of the match award.
KL also had the benefit of batting in the PP. Miller, OTOH, didn't even bat in the PP and scored a 100 at 13.53 RPO.
KL Rahul was having a day without being trolled, so commentators gave him Man of the Match to ruin it.
Not Surya
Not Miller
It's kl Rahul who is awarded man of the match
Is it for motivating
What's ur thought
#SuryakumarYadav #INDvsSA #Kohli #Miller
Sky robbed man of the match. No hate, kl was brilliant tonight, but it was sky's knock which made the difference
"I'm quite surprised I'm getting this" - KL Rahul after being adjudged Player of the Match against South Africa
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rahul himself expressed his surprise at being chosen as the Player of the Match ahead of Suryakumar Yadav.
"Honestly, I'm quite surprised I'm getting this (award). Surya, with the way he batted, he had a bigger impact on the game and he changed the game. We as opening batters always think our job is tougher, but having batted a few innings in the middle order in ODIs, I do realise that is difficult as well", he said.
India posted a gigantic total of 237/3 thanks to stunning half-centuries from Rahul and Suryakumar. Virat Kohli chipped in with an unbeaten 49, while skipper Rohit Sharma scored 43. Dinesh Karthik continued his happy habit of adding the finishing touches to render the Proteas attack hapless.
In response, Temba Bavuma's 7-ball duck and Quinton de Kock's labourious innings made life difficult for the visitors. Miller launched a stunning assault with De Kock also switching gears soon after, but South Africa left themselves with far too much to do in the end and fell short by 16 runs.
The 3rd and final T20I will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Tuesday (October 4).
Who do you think should have been adjudged the Player of the Match in the Guwahati T20I? Let us know in the comments below!